I Will Wait
by Raywire
Summary: Stemming from season one, what happens when Grissom and Sara's past in San Francisco catches up on them in Vegas? How does it change them, and the rest of the team? Will they be able to stay around, or will one of them have to leave again?
1. Chapter 1

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**A/N: **A brand new fic, inspired by a week in hospital, and a lot of time to watch the first season of CSI again. I'll stick sort of to the events of the first season, to an extent, during this, with a few GSR moments developed into more.

Just a taster of the angsty ride that is to come!

Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Nothing here belongs to me, just borrowing some characters for a while!

_**xxx**_

He had always kept her waiting. He had insisted he had changed since they had last seen each other, but so far, he still seemed the same to her.

She wouldn't put it past him to leave her waiting, with a phonecall in the morning to apologise. Work went late, a case came up, paperwork to finish. An excuse for everything.

"Excuse me, Miss? Can I take your order, or do you want a few more minutes?"

She hadn't even noticed the waitress come up. She smiled softly, shaking her head, "I'm just waiting on someone, a few more minutes and he should be here."

She smiled empathetically with a nod, "There's no rush, Miss."

She turned her attention back to the menu in front of her, still undecided as to what she was going to order. Once more, her mind wandered to earlier on today, her first day in Las Vegas.

It felt so good to see him again. She had been so excited, of course she jumped at the chance to come out here to see him, to work with him. Truth be told, she had waited for this day for a long time.

_"God, Sara, I have so many unanswered whys."_

She was starting to compile a list of her own. There were many things she would like an answer to, but she knew what he was like, and it was very unlikely she would ever get them.

"Sara, I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting." She didn't even hear him come in, she had been so distracted by her own thoughts.

"It's fine, let me guess, work came up?"

"I'm sorry, I meant to phone. Just with everything with Holly and Warrick, there's been a lot going on."

"Honestly, Grissom, I understand." She gave a small laugh as he slid into the booth opposite her. "I know I've come at a busy time. If you want, we can do this some other time, you can get back to work." She was starting to doubt herself now, doubt why she was called here, why she decided to stay.

Grissom reached across the table, gently placing his hand over hers, her skin warm and soft beneath his. "Sara, I asked you to come here. I wanted you here." He paused for a moment, searching her brown eyes for a sign that she didn't seem to give, telling him that it was okay for him to have his hand on hers. "It's good to see you again."

She couldn't stop herself from smiling, despite her best efforts, she tried to tell herself when she came here that she would not fall back into this trap. What happened between them was a long time ago, and they had both agreed to bury it and move on with their lives. But here they were, intertwined once more.

"It's good to see you too, Gil. You seem to be doing great here in Vegas."

"At the moment it's more hectic than I would like it to be, but I'm sure I will get used to it. I'm sorry... For not keeping in touch over the last three years, Sara. I never meant to let so long elapse between phonecalls." What he really meant to say was that he never meant to let her get away, but he couldn't bring himself to admitting that outloud just yet.

She gave him an easy smile, shaking her head, passing it off. "It's okay, I know you've been busy with the lab here, you've done a lot of great work over the last few years." She hoped he didn't notice the warm blush that crept up on her cheeks, giving away the fact that she had kept up on cases he had been working. It had been nice to know that he was doing well.

Little did she know that he had also done the same in regards to her. He had a lot of contacts in San Francisco, some he regularly kept in contact with, and it made it easy for him to ask a few questions about her. Just enough to know she was happy and okay, enough to stop him running back to her.

A comfotrable silence settled over the pair as the waitress reappeared to take their order. Both ordered a coffee, and split a portion of fries between them.

Each seemed to be remembering a different time, far away from where they were right now. It was an easy silence, looking at each other every now and then with a series of shared smiles.

Their order came and this time it was Grissom who spoke first. "So, how have you been, Sara? What have you done since I seen you last in San Francisco?"

She finished chewing what she had in her mouth, her coffee warm in her hands, glad for the moment she had to compose herself, how she would answer this question. Her mind always went into overdrive when he was around, she began thinking too deeply, questioning herself, doubting her words and thoughts.

"It's been good. I finished my degree, as you can tell, and got a job in the lab in San Francisco. I worked there for three years, and here I am, working for you now. Nothing really out of the ordinary, you know me Gil, low profile."

He chuckled softly to himself, remembering all too well that she preferred staying in, watching movies, having a meal in, than going out. She was the opposite to nearly every student he had ever thought. She was so bright, sharp, extremely focused and dedicated. She poured so much effort into her work, and she had such a passion for it. It was one of the things that drew his attention to her first. That and those deep brown eyes and sweet, long legs. He mentally chastised himself for allowing himself to think such things. She had always had such an effect on him.

"You exceeded, from what I hear, everyones expectations in the lab. Helped bring it up in national rankings."

She felt herself swelling with pride. It was comments like that that used to make her day when she was younger. always wanted to please him, to show him that she was capable. "What can I say, I learnt from the best."

"It didn't take much effort on my behalf, Sara. You were always very eager, very easy to teach. I actually still hear about you from Professors when we talk. Do you remeber Professor Nolan? He still brings you up when we cross paths, always noting how eager you seemed in my forensics lectures."

He knew straight away he had said something wrong, the way her body stiffened and she put the cup of coffee down. She swiftly tried to recompose herself, but he could tell the smile was forced.

"That's good to know." Her attempt to sound genuine was weak, raising his concern.

"Did I say something wrong?"

She instantly shook her head, too fast for his liking. "No, no not at all. Just... It's been a while since I've thought of college life."

Guilt washed over him at that thought, wondering if he was why she preferred to not think of her time in college. "Sara... I... I have a lot to explain to you, about what happened between us." He paused for just a moment, taking a breath. This was not where he had seen this night going, but he knew it would happen sooner or later.

A shrill ringing of a cell phone snapped the two of them out of the high anticipation moment. Grissom sighed, pulling it from his pocket and looking at the caller. "Brass.." He said, more to himself than to Sara.

"It's okay. Answer it." She said softly, almost relieved that this came when it did, she didn't know if what would come of that conversation would do either of them any good. Things were good as they were. They had that good working relationship back, they were in tune with each other, they knew what to expect from each other. Did she want all of that to change, because he felt guilty? Of course she didn't. She would rather have him as a friend, to have him in her life at all, than to have an explanation. That wasn't why she came here.

"I'm sorry, Sara." He said as he stood, flipping open his cell, talking in a hurried tone to Brass. In less than a minute he had turned back to her, his cell back in his pocket.

"Brass needs me on a case. Lots of bugs. Needs my expertise." He was drowning in guilt now.

Her understanding gaze made him melt. She always let him away with too much. "It's fine. I know the job. Do you want some help?"

"No, I think I should have it covered. You go and get some rest, I'm sure you're exhausted after the trip, and the case."

She didn't sleep much, but he did have a point, a few hours couldn't hurt.

"I'm sorry, Sara. I'll make it up to you." He said as he grabbed his jacket, taking the bill in his hands as he went, despite her protests. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sara. And, thank you, for coming out to me when I called."

She just smiled, as he walked out after paying the bill for their food. Once again she sat and watched him walk out the door, even after she promised herself it would never happpen again.

She sighed, running her hands through her hair, as she gathered her stuff, trying no to think about the dark points that had managed to resurface. "Anytime, Gil." She mumbled to herself, in response to his last sentence.

Here she was, being sucked back into that vicious cycle with Gil Grissom. She only hoped it wouldn't end as it had last time.

_**xxx**_

Leave a review, let me know what you thought :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hope you are all enjoying so far, thanks for the reviews, and the pms!

_**xxx**_

_**Three Years Ago**_

_"We don't have to do this!" She pleaded with him, her voice strained in desperation. She knew it would all come crashing down around her eventually, but she hadn't expected it to be so soon. _

_Hope had been a sustaining force, as well as her own ignorance. She didn't want to believe that their time together would eventually come to an end._

_"Sara, honey... I don't know what else to do." That was a lie. He knew this was the only way it could end. He was going back to Vegas, and she still ahd her degree to finish out, her whole career set out ahead of her. He knew when this started it would only be for a short period. He had tried to resist her, to stop himself, but he couldn't help himself. In the end, he had done more damage than good to her, and he was going to have to make up for that now. _

_"We don't have to end this, Gil. I mean... We could make a long distance relationship work. I only have a few months left here, I could come out to Vegas then, I'm sure I could get a job somewhere there, in some lab. We can make this work... If you want it to." _

_He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index he want this to continue? Of course he did. He had never felt more alive, more human than he did when he was with her over the past few weeks. But she was his student, she had her whole life ahead of her, a job waiting for her in San Francisco, and she was willing to give that up for him. He couldn't ask that of her._

_"Sara, you're my student. We can't. It's best we just go our seperate ways now, get back to our own lives." _

_"Did this mean anything at all to you? Or was I just someone to keep your bed warm while you were away?" She knew that hurt him, she seen how he flinched, but she didn't care. She wanted him to feel a fraction of what he was making her feel right now._

_"You know that isn't true Sara. You know it was more than that. So much more. But it can't continue. I'm sorry." He knew it didn't even come close to making up for what he was doing to her. She was young, give it a few months, maybe a year and she would bounce back. She would think back on this time and cringe at the thought of her relationship with an old Professor like him. At least that was what he kept telling himself. _

_"Yeah. I'm sorry too, Grissom." _

_He should have left it at that, he should have left her to walk out of his hotel room, but he followed her out into the hallway, taking her hand and turning her to face him. He needed that one last moment, her brown eyes filled with surprise as his lips came crashing down upon hers in one last kiss. _

_For once, it was her that pulled away, tears sliding down her cheeks. _

_"Maybe if... If it was some other time... Maybe it could have worked."_

_"Maybe it would have." _

_He would never forget that look in her eyes as she walked away, and this time he did not stop her, as much as she wanted him to, as much as he wanted to. She looked as if she had completely given up, she had no hope left. _

_He had done that to her, and for that he would never forgive himself. _

_**xxx**_

_**Present Day**_

This was a taxing case, alright, but they were near the end now, she could tell. It was a good feeling, to have almost finished her first case in Vegas.

All that was left to do now was to get the DNA from Holly's body, which Catherine was collecting in the morgue right now, as she waited outside. Then it was just a matter of running the DNA to see if it matched the sample taken earlier. It should be a slam dunk.

She sat on the bench outside the morgue whilst Catherine went inside to collect the DNA. They hadn't gotten off to the best of starts, and she figured this was something she wanted to do on her own.

She sensed his presence before she even seen him, just out of the corner of her eye, there he was talking to Catherine before she slipped into the morgue. Sara focused her eyes on the wall ahead of her, trying to make it look as if she didn't know he was there.

She wasn't avoiding him, she just needed some space to figure out what was happening in her head. She thought she had figured it all out over the last three years, that she could work with him as a friend and nothing more.

She was starting to rethink her own willpower. She found it too easy to slip back into the old habit of worshipping him.

Even after everything that happened between them, they had still kept in touch over the three years, but not very often. It had surprised her when he phoned and asked her to come out to him. It had gotten her hopes up for a moment, her breath had hitched in her throat as he spoke.

For just a moment she thought he was asking her to come to him, but he soon explained what he really meant, that he had a job here for her if she wanted it. It only took a split second for her to agree.

She had a nice life in San Francisco, a good job, a few nice friends, but nothing that really made her feel like she was tied to the place. It was too easy for her to leave and come to him, even if it was just for a job.

She hadn't noticed him sitting down beside her, he hadn't made his presence known, simply observing her, deep in thought. He loved seeing how her mind worked, it was like she could see the wheels turning in her head. It was intriguing.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He said with a small smile, trying to assess what damage may have been done from the meal the night before.

He had questioned himself as to why he had brought her back. He tried to reassure himself that it really was just because she was the best person for the job, and there were no toher personal motives to it.

He had assured himself he had moved on from that time, that it was just in the past now. He had even gone on a few dates over the last few years, but nothing was ever as meaningful.

She smiled, turning her head to look at him. "I was just thinking about the case, that's all."

"You're doing a great job. You've really turned into a great criminalist, Sara."

She smiled and thanked him. He had been awfully generous to her with compliments since she had come to Vegas. He still felt guilty. That was reassuring to her in a way.

"Well, you have a great team. They made it easy to do my job."

He smiled fondly, knowing what she said was true. He may have a biased opinion of them, but his team were the best, and now that she was here it was even better.

"How did the case with the bugs go last night?" It was easier to talk to him about work than it seemed to be with anything else. It was a safe topic, most of the time. There was no way she could make a fool of herself. Well, not yet.

"It's okay, not too difficult, still a bit of work to be done on it." He paused for a moment, trying to take his gaze away from her, but it was hard. It was easy to fall back into the flirtatious banter they used to have, but he couldn't allow it. He was her boss.

"I'm sorry about having to leave last night. I'll make it up to you, we can go out for dinner again sometime."

"That would be nice." She smiled. She could really think of many more adjectives to describe what that would be.

"Am I interrupting something here?"

Both of them jumped, turning their attention to look at Catherine who had reappeared behind them.

"Just chatting about the case, that's all, Cath. Did you get your DNA?"

"Yeah, I have it, going to go to Greg now, get him to run and compare. You coming, Sara?" She said with a sly smile, guessing there was more going on here than they were letting on. Oh, they had ignited the unstoppable flame that was Catherine's curiosity, and she wouldn't stop until she figured it out.

"Yeah, I'm coming." She said as she stood up, following after Catherine. "See you later, Grissom." She called, looking over her shoulder to him.

"See you later, Sara." He repeated, closing his eyes and tilting his head back and resting it against the wall. This was goign to be harder than he thought.

_**xxx**_

**A/N: **Leave a review, let me know what you thought.

Will update again in a day or two.


	3. Chapter 3

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"Okay, Gil, give it up."

"Good morning to you too, Catherine. To what do I owe this pleasure?" He put aside the Forensic Journal he had been reading, resigning himself to the fact that it would be tonight before he got to read anymore of it.

Catherine slid easily into the chair before him, relaxed from having done this on many, many occasions previously. She had known Grissom for so many years now, they were close friends. They could communicate without speaking in so many words, it made working scenes incredibly easy.

Now, there was something getting to her about him, and she couldn't come to her own conclusion. The worst thing for her, was not having answers to her questions. It was one reason why she made such a great CSI, she didn't stop until she had her answers. She was looking for the truth in everything. Wether it was as serious as a case or more trivial like her friends very private personal life.

"Come on, Sara has been here for a month now, and you've just gone from hot to cold with her. What's your history with her?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Catherine." She scoffed in reaction to her old friends answer.

"Don't play dumb with me, Gil." She paused for a moment. "Only the other week, you were elated when she asked you to tape her up. I seen that little smirk on your lips. You were like a kid in a candy store. Not to mention hearing her say how she keeps trying to be your star pupil. Something's gotta give, Gil."

Nothing got past her. He knew that only too well, and there was no way he was going to get out of this without giving her at least a few answers to keep her happy for a while.

He glanced at the watch on his wrist, pursing his lips. "Catherine, I really don't know what you're talking about, and I have to be somewhere in thirty minutes, so get explaining fast if you want me to answer something." it was a lame attempt at trying to deflect her from her ultimate goal, but there was no such luck.

This was just what she was waiting for. "You call her up, out of the blue, and she drops everything to come here, to a new lab, a new job, where she knows nobody, leaving behind her own friends and job, just when you give her a phonecall. You knew her previously to her coming here, but I have yet to figure out how you have known her. When she first came, all you could do was talk about how great a criminalist she is, and both of you very openly flirted, you nearly worked every case with her."

She picked up on a lot, but he didn't expect anything less. She was a criminalist, after all. And a very good one at that. He didn't interrupt her, it was best she get it all out of her system. And, it gave him a chance to come up with his own story. Of course he wasn't going to tell her the truth of what really happened between him and Sara. It was not only his story, but it was up to Sara also. If people were going to know the truth, it was going to be agreed by both of them. But he didn't expect that to happen anytime soon. They were both intensely private, they always had been.

"But, the last few weeks, you've both been going out of your way to avoid each other. You've been giving her solos, or cases with Nick and Warrick, never yourself anymore. And, both of you have been miserable. So, what gives?"

He considered her for a moment, the determination in her eyes.

"I don't know what you're expecting me to tell you, Catherine. Yes, I knew Sara before she came here, how do you think I knew to phone her? I guest lectured in her college during her senior year, I was her teacher. When I finished, we kept in touch every now and then when she needed some help with her research for her PHD. And, I am friends with her boss from San Francisco, so I knew she was a good criminalist, which I think she has proved since she arrived. She had expressed an interest in coming to Vegas when I was her teacher, and I phoned to see if she was still interested." He paused for a moment, watching the wheels turning in her head as she took it all in. "We run one of the best labs in the country, Cath, why wouldn't she, or any other criminalst want to work here?"

"As for avoiding her, and her cases, I think you're reading into things too deeply. I worked cases with her at the start to ensure she was settling in okay, to see what techniques she had picked up whilst in Frisco, and when I was sure she was capable, I gave her solos, paired her up so she got to know the team. As for being miserable, I don't know what to say to that, but I feel perfectly fine."

Catherine remained silent for a few moments taking it all in as she surveyed him with an arched eyebrow.

"So, that's it? You were her teacher."

"That's it. Sorry to disappoint you with my boring life, Catherine." Technically, he didn't lie to her. He just didn't tell her the whole truth. Sara had been his student, he just didn't explain everything that he may have thought the younger girl.

"I've just... Been worried about you, Gil." She was disappointed that there didn't seem to be more gossip behind the tale. Maybe she simply did have an ocer active imagination. She would have sworn there had been something between them, the way they looked at each other every now and then, the tension was palpable.

"There is nothing to worry about, I'm perfectly fine." He glanced at his watch again, and stood up from his chair. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."

"Date with your bugs?" She asked, a smile on her lips.

"No, a woman, actually." He answered simply as he slipped his jacket on.

That wiped the smile off of her face, her mouth hung open. "What? Who?"

"I don't believe that's any of your business, Catherine." He said with a small smile, knowing this would torture her.

"Gilbert Grissom," She launched to her feet, "If you don't tell me right now, I will never help you out on your politics with Ecklie and the Sherrif, and that's just the beginning."

He sighed and pursed his lips, knowing when to fight his battles and right now, this was not a battle he wanted to fight. He was already late.

"Terri Miller."

"The anthropoligist?"

"The anthropoligist." He confirmed with a nod.

"The anthropoligist who left her number on your cork board, with the note saying 'Don't let me get away'?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Have you been reading my mail too, Catherine?" He asked, not particularly surprised that she had seen that much. "Yes, that one. How many Terri Millers do you know that are anthropologists? Anyway, I'd love to stay and chat, but as you know I'm late." He said as he turned to walk out of the door, he froze, seeing Sara standing in the doorway.

"Sara... I didn't see you there. Is everything okay?" She didn't look too good. Maybe Catherine was right about her being miserable.

"Hey, Grissom... Yeah, I'm fine. I uh... Was just coming to see if Catherine wanted to go for breakfast with me." She offered with a small smile, notably forced.

She heard him, there was no doubt about that in his mind. So, what did he do? He ran. "Okay, I'll see you later Sara. Bye Catherine." He called as he hightailed it out of there, cursing himself. What a coward he was turning into.

Sara sighed, closing her eyes and running her hand through her hair.

"You weren't coming to ask me to go for breakfast, were you?" Catherine offered as she walked towards the younger girl. They had gotten off to the wrong start, but she was growing on the older CSI.

Sara shook her head, opening her eyes to look at Catgerine, a silent plea in them to forget about this.

So, she had been half right; it was definitely more than a student-teacher relationship to Sara.

"Don't worry about it. Now, what do you say to that breakfast now? And maybe a stronger beverage afterward?"

Sara smiled, thankful. "That would be wonderful right now, Cath. Thank you."

"No need for it, Sara."

They left the lab together, unknown that Grissom was still sitting in his Denali watching them leave, laughing together. What was he going to do?

_**xxx**_

**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed! Feel free to leave a review! Update again soon.


	4. Chapter 4

_**xxx**_

**A/N:** This is kind of a filler chapter, but it is necessary in the lead up to the drama that will ensue.

_**xxx**_

_Two could play at his game._

That was what she had told herself as she left the lab that morning with Catherine, whilst Grissom went on his date.

If he wanted to pretend that there was nothing between them, that all they were was co-workers, with no history, she could do that too. If he wanted to date other people, wether he hand the intentions of telling her or not, she could do that too.

She could play as hard as he could. Maybe in her own thoughts she hoped that if he seen her with someone else, he would get jealous and come to the realisation that he was making a mistake. It was a long shot, but all was fair in love and war.

She had been in Vegas for three months now, and everything had remained the same between them. Co-workers. They worked cases together, but that was as far as it went. Aside from the odd team breakfast, she never seen him outside of the lab.

Grissom had not been the only one who had told her she needed to get a life outside of work. So what if she maxed out on over-time, she was dedicated to her job. But, in the interest of not wanting to come across as pathetic, she decided she had to make some changes to her lifestyle.

It was hard after a life of solitude, really. She had never been one to thrive in social situations. Not after her childhood. It was easier for her to keep to herself, to get lost in her school work, or work. Even in college, her only real friend had been her room mate. When she moved to San Francisco, that was the first time she started to feel like she belonged somewhere.

That was when she knew that Forensics was what she was meant to do. Ever since moving to Vegas, despite everything with Grissom, the team had become more of a family to her than she had ever experienced in her whole life.

She had noticed a shift in Catherines attitude towards her, but they had become close. Sara often went to Catherines for dinner, and surprisingly, Catherine never brought Grissom up to Sara. Thankfully.

Nick, Greg and Warrick were like brothers to her. They were who gave her the social life that everyone seemed convinced that she needed. They all went out at least once a week, to what had become a local for them. It was relaxing, to get away from the lab, from her apartment, and to just be able to have a laugh with her friends.

They weren't the only people who frequented that pub. And that was where she met Sean. Tall, dark hair, green eyes, a teacher. Not in the department. It was a nice change. He was a nice guy. He made her laugh easily, and conversation came without much effort. They had been on a few dates, with a few make-out sessions, but it never went further than that, and she was happy with that much.

He wasn't Grissom. He didn't stop her thinking about him, he didn't stop her feeling the way she did for him, but it was nice to have someone outside of work to talk to.

And the guys liked him too. They could all spend time together when they were out, and that made things easier for her, as well. Her family here just seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. It was a strange feeling, and although things weren't panning out as she had planned in her love life, she was happy here.

She didn't know what had happened on Grissoms date with Terri Miller. She had a feeling Catherine knew what had happened, if there was anymore dates. If she could listen to the gossip in the lab, there was a dominatrix on the scene too, that he knew from a case. A Lady Heather. She tried not to think about it. It would only driver her to madness.

So, she didn't allow herself to become obsessed with every detail as she may have done before. She still threw herself into her own work, and then forgot about it outside of it, focusing on her friends, and the people who actually showed they were interested in her, and cared about her.

"Hey, Sara... Are you listening to anything I'm saying?"

"Huh? What? Sorry, Greg... I was uh... Thinking."

"About loverboy?" He suppiled, teasing her.

She pursed her lips, her jaw locked. She knew it was a bad idea letting the guys meet Sean. "No, actually. Now, what were you saying to me?"

"Well," He grinned, sliding a cup of his special coffee across the table towards her. "I was asking how your date went last night. You two really seem to be hitting it off. Leaving no chance for me at all." He said, feigning hurt.

"Sorry Greggo, you left it too late." She quipped, sipping the coffee slowly. She knew having Greg as her friend was a good idea. She always had good coffee. "And, I wouldn't call it a date. It's just a few drinks with a friend. Just like with you, Nick or Warrick."

"Of course, that's all it is."

"It is."

"Then how come Nick, Warrick or I don't get the same good night kisses he does?" He knew he was walking a thin line, but he also knew he could get away with it. There was a reason he gave her his coffee.

"You're lucky that I am enjoying this coffee, Greg, otherwise it would be all over you."

"You would never do that to me."

Sara opened her mouth to reply to him, but silenced again as Grissom walked into the break room, white slips with their cases in his hand. "Where is everyone? Shift starts in five minutes."

Before either her or Greg had a chance to open their mouth in reply, Warrick and Nick strolled in, laughing between themselves.

"Hey there sweetheart. You got home alright then. Didn't stay out too long with loverboy?"

"What is everyone's need to know everything in my personal life?" Sara supplied, glaring at Nick. Any other time, any other place. Just not with Grissom here. "And anyway-"

"You're late." Grissom said, cutting Sara off, not even looking up at them as he flicked through the cases in his hand with pursed lips. "Where's Catherine?"

"She'll be a few minutes late, she phoned to say she had to bring Lindsey to the doctors."

"Okay, then. " He paused, finally looking up. "Warrick, you're with me. Double murder out in Henderson. Nick, you're with Cath when she gets in, I want you to continue that suicide you were working on, see if there are any new leads."

"You got it, boss."

"What about me?" Sara piped up, and Grissom looked back down at the cases, a move that didn't go unnoticed by Sara, or the others in the room.

"B&E out in Barstow." He said, sliding the sheet across the table to her.

Sara picked it up, looking at the guys, who looked back at her sympathetically. She was on the recieving end of Grissoms bad mood.

She bit her lip to stop herself from saying anything. A two and a half hour drive, for a B&E.

"Solo?"

"Yeah... Solo." Again, he didn't look up at her.

She stood from her chair, gathering her belongings, slipping her jacket back on. She put her mug of coffee in the sink, still pretty much full.

"See you later, guys." She said as she walked out of the room, fuming. Generally she liked working solos, but this was about somethig more than that. He was punishing her for having a life. She really hated him sometimes.

"Wait, Sara."

Grissoms voice stopped her, sending chills through her as she turned to look at him, an eyebrow arched in a silent question to him.

"When you wrap up that case, I need to talk to you in my office."

"Sure thing." She said as she turned and left the room, her head spinning now. What on earth was this about?

She didn't want to get too caught up in her own thoughts about what this could mean. All she knew was that it was more than likely not going to be good. All she could do now was wrap up this case, and get back here to figure out what was actually going on.

Back in the breakroom, they were still sitting in silence. "Well, that was harsh." Greg supplied.

Grissom looked up at Greg, eyes narrowed. "Greg, your shift starts the same time as ours. Don't you have a DNA lab to get to."

"I get it. I'll see you around." He took his coffee with him, shooting a look at Nick and Warrick as he left, a warning he didn't need to give. Don't mess with Grissom today. They were aware of that right now.

"Let's go, Warrick."

"Right after you, Boss."

The two stood and left, leaving Nick on his own in the break room. "Well, I got off easy today."

_**xxx**_

Hours later, only clocking off one hour after shift ended, Sara was signing off on the case. It was by far one of the easiest cases she had worked. Husband and Wife, filing for divorce, the Wife paid her new boyfriend to break in and take back the jewellery that her husband had claimed belonged to his family, and had given to her. Fingerprints and trace evidence made it an easy close.

She needed something easy after the beginning she had in the break room.

With everything documented and filed away, she went to the locker room, changed her clothes, ran a brush through her hair and left to go to Grissoms office, just as he had asked. She hadn't seen anyone else all shift, apart from Greg when he ran some DNA for her, so she didn't even know if he was back yet.

Part of her hoped that he wasn't, so she could leave a note, say she had been there, and then go home. Her shower was calling her, and then her bed. She stepped into his office, the door was open, and she didn't see him there.

Maybe she was getting off easy. She made her way over to his desk, picking up the pad of paper so she could write her note.

"Well, well, Sara Sidle all grown up." Said a voice from behind her, sent chills through her body, making her jump, dropping the pad to the ground.

She whirled around, and her face dropped, her body went rigid. "What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice sounding more shaky than she intended it to be.

"Come on, Sara. Is that any way to greet your old Professor?" The tall, greying man said as he moved towards her, stooping down before her to pick the pad up that she dropped, leaving it back on Grissom's desk.

Just at that moment, and she was surprised she was thinking this, she was thankful for Grissom coming into the room, holding two cups of coffee.

"Ah, Sara. You see why I wanted you here." He was back to acting like nothing was wrong with him.

"Well... No, not exactly." She said, as he set the two mugs down on his desk.

"Well, Professor Nolan is in town for a few weeks, guest lecturing at WLVU, and he wanted to catch up with us."

"Please, Gil, I'm no longer your co-worker or Sara's professor. Call me Ed. And yes, I thought it would be a good idea for us to all go out for dinner, catch up. You were close to both of us as a student, Sara, and Gil and I were good friends. I'd love to hear how you ended up here, what you did your PHD in, and how Gil has gotten to be supervisor of the number one lab in the country."

Her skin was crawling, her stomach was turning. Her eyes flickered between her old college professor and her boss. All she could do was nod in agreement.

"Excellent. I'll make reservations. I hear there's a new restaurant out in Mandalay Bay, supposed to be the finest." Ed said as he sat himself down opposite Grissom at the desk, leaving Sara standing.

"Is that everything? I uh... Still have a case to wrap up."

"I thought you had clocked out?" Grissom asked, picking his mug up.

"No... No, I still have a bit of documenting to do. So, I'll go finish that up." She said as she turned to walk out of the room.

"I'll let you know about the reservations, Sara." Ed called to her as she left.

She turned to look at him, giving him a small smile. "Excellent. See you then." She couldn't get out of there fast enough.

"What a wonderful young lady she's turned into."

"Yes, she's a very talented CSI, Ed." He paused for a moment. "Now, care to run those class topics by me?" He said, as Ed reached into his briefcase, pulling out the papers he had asked Gil to look over.

He made a mental note to talk to Sara later. There had been something about her this evening that was off. Maybe she was still pissed about him having her work the solo. He'd talk to her later.

_**xxx**_

**A/N:** And the drama ball starts rolling. Give a review, let me know what you thought :)


	5. Chapter 5

_**xxx**_

She had tossed and turned for hours in anticipation of this dinner. She should have been excited, looking forward to this, a dinner with Grissom. She would have been if it were only the two of them, but the guest was not one she wanted to spend any amount of time with.

A lot of what had happened whilst she was in college, she buried, preferring to forget about it. The only really good memory she took with her were those associated with Grissom, and a few other memories she had with friends, research papers and lecturers.

When her old professor saught her out, she was in the locker room, just pulling on her LVPD vest, ready to start shift.

"Sara, so good to catch you."

She faught hard not to visibly shudder. She glimpsed the visitors badge on his shirt, and she couldn't help but think how he was anything further from welcome.

He smirked, leaning against the doorway. "I made those reservations. Tonight, eight pm. Gil informs me you can be quite a worker, but he's promised he will ensure you are there on time, that the case gets covered."

She wasn't taking any of this. She was no longer his student. "I don't know what you're playing at or what you want from me, but I'm not playing your game."

He quirked an eyebrow, as if genuinely confused. "I don't know what you're talking about, Sara. I'm here on business for a few weeks. I'm simply catching up with a few old friends of mine. What's wrong with that?"

Just as Sara was about to retort, Nick walked into the locker room, excusing himself as he passed the tall stranger. He had seen him the other day with Grissom and Sara in Grissom's office. The look on Sara's face concerned him.

"Everything okay here, Sara?"

"Yeah, it's fine, Nick." Her eyes still locked with Ed's, in a battle of will. She would not lose. "Nick, this is Ed Nolan, an old Professor of mine from Berkley, Ed, Nick Stokes, CSI." It was Ed who looked away first, giving Sara a surge of triumph pumping through her blood.

Nick was still unsure, nodding towards him in acknowledgement.

"It's nice to meet you, Nick."

"Yeah, you too." He replied in a steady tone.

"Sara, you and I have a DB calling us, gotta get going."

"I won't keep you any longer, Sara. Remember, eight o'clock tonight. See you then. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stokes." He gave a slight bow as he turned and left.

Sara took a deep breath, and turned back to her locker, giving a small smile to Nick.

"Are you sure you're okay, darlin'?" Nick asked, as he walked over to her, his hand on her shoulder wanting to comfort her. In the time she had been here, they had formed a very strong relationship. He considered her to be a sister to him, and she was more than happy to welcome any family figure into her life.

She recoiled from his touch though, the moment his fingers brushed her skin. "Sorry... Sorry Nick, I'm just a little jumpy. I haven't been sleeping, that's all."

"Well, I know just the cure for that. How about later on we go out? You have something organised with that Professor?"

Sara nodded. "Dinner with Grissom and him at eight, he wants a catch up."

"That'll be interesting, dinner with the bossman. How about after, you, Greg and I go out, get a few drinks? I'll even give Sean a call if you want."

She smiled at his attempt to cheer her up, more than happy to have him at this moment. "Sure, that sounds brilliant. I'll text you when the diner is finished, and I'll meet up with you then." She was thankful for the friends she had. "Now, ready for that DB?" An easy smile settled on her face at the thought of being able to lose herself in her work. She knew she loved it for a reason.

"There's that Sidle smile. Let's go, sweetheart."

"I'm driving." She said as she slipped out ahead of him, grinning.

"Of course you are." He chuckled and followed out after her.

_**xxx**_

Grissom didn't really get dressed up for dinners, wether they were a date or otherwise. He had a casual, comfortable style that he had known for so many years, and he tended to stick to it. The only time he really wore a suit was when he had to go to court. When he really had no other choice but to wear one.

For tonight he donned a simple pair of loosely fitted black trousers, a crisp blue shirt and a black suit jacket over it. He thought it looked pretty well.

He glanced quickly at his watch, ten past seven. He had let Sara leave a little early so she could go and shower, and get changed. He told her to meet him back here for half past seven, and he would drive them to the restaurant.

He was not surprised that she was early, strolling into him almost reluctantly, with a little drag in her feet at quarter past seven.

She seemed to follow the same dress sense as he did tonight, casual, yet he still could not deny how beautiful she looked. A more fitting pair of black jeans hugged her long legs. She had a red top on, snug to her body, not revealing anything, yet showing her body. She was stunning.

It took him a moment to form a coherent string of sentences in his mind, feeling his mouth go a little dry. "Good evening, Sara. You look... Very well." That didn't even begin to cover how she really looked.

She wasn't in the mood for his games tonight of all nights. She just wanted to make it through this dinner and then get out to her friends, the people she knew who cared about her all the time, not just whenever they felt like it.

"Thanks, Grissom. For a bunch of science nerds we scrub up well." She said with an attempt to lighten the mood, and her own nerves. She knew she couldn't really deny it. The blue shirt brought out a twinkle in his eyes, that on any other occasion would have made her melt.

She had her leather jacket slung over her arms, as she watched him, still contemplating the idea of making a run for it. She was pretty sure she could make a pretty convincing attempt at a stomach ache or a sudden migraine. Grissom suffered from migraines, he would understand how she needed to go home.

But she wouldn't do that. She wouldn't give Ed the satisfaction. She was going to get through this dinner, and then go meet her friends, and drink her thoughts into oblivion tonight. She decided she deserved it.

"Sara I... I've wanted to talk to you for a while... I just wanted to... To make sure you're happy. I heard you're seeing someone..." This was harder for him than he thought it would be.

"Grissom, I'm not in a relationship with him. We just hang out. You know, you told me to get a life. Not to chase rabbits. You can't lead me on, then push me away and tell me to get a life, and then you get mad at me for doing exactly what you tell me to do. Whilst you also go out and date other women." She paused for a moment, surprised at the turn this had taken. She hadn't expected it to come to this. Grissom generally wasn't very forward, especially when it came to anything involving their relationship. Or lack thereof.

"But... Are you happy?" He asked, apparently desperate for that answer from her.

She considered it for a moment, and the motives he had behind it. "My feelings for you haven't changed, Grissom. I don't think they will... But yes, right now, thanks to the team, I am happy. They're like a family to me, and they look out for me."

He pondered this for a moment with a quirked eyebrow. That was all that mattered to him. She was happy.

There was a fleeting look across his face that made her heart flutter for a moment as she expected a reply from him, but it never came.

"Should we go?" She offered, giving him an out.

He nodded, standing from his desk, gathering his things and following her out to the Denali. What was he doing?

_**xxx**_

Little over forty minutes later the three of them were seated at a window table in the newest restaurant that Ed had suggested to them.

They had already placed their orders and while Grissom and Ed engaged in a spirited debate over Grissom's beloved bugs, Sara busied herself in looking at the wine list, and the extra list they supplied with recommended shows and places to visit whilst in Vegas, for after dinner. Anything to try and stay out of the conversation. She was here, she had made the biggest step. And it didn't seem too bad so far. He wouldn't say anything with Grissom here, he just wanted to taunt her. She wouldn't make it easy.

Grissom's hand over hers startled her out of her thoughts as she set the menu down, "Sorry, what?"

He retracted his hand now that he had gotten her attention, and she looked between the two men sitting before her.

"Ed had asked you how you managed to get into Forensics."

"Yeah, Sara. Last time I seen you, I was teaching you through your masters in physics in Berkely, you were working part time in the Cororners Office in San Fransicso, and tagging along to a few extra classes in Biology taught by none other than Gil Grissom here." He leaned forward across the table towards her, and she automatically relaxed backwards into her chair, away from him.

"Well, from working in the coroners office I knew some people from the CSI department. I got talking to one of them and he let me tag along in the lab sometimes when it was quite in the morgue. I love learning new things, as you both know, and I took to being CSI as a duck takes to water. I managed to work my way up to CSI level two in San Fransicso, and soon after that, I went to an entomology seminar presented by Grissom. I knew him already from his time at Berkely, but that just cemented the interest I had in wanting to be a CSI. A year or two later, I get a phone call asking me to come to a job in Vegas, and here I am."

She hadn't noticed how closely either of the two men at the table had been surveying her, and she tried not to shift uncomfortably under their gazes.

"I never thought you'd take the turn into Forensics. I thought you'd tire out of the coroners lab, and continue to pursue academics. I had been looking forward to seeing you complete a PHD."

"Well, you don't know me that well, Ed." She said very firmly, this time leaning her arms on the table.

Just at that moment, breaking the fast forming tension, their food arrived. Sara had ordered asparagus and risotta toasts, Grissom got the chile rellenos and Ed had taken oysters as his starter. It was rich, out of the ordinary for all of them, but it was something different.

Ed seemed determined to continue this conversation. "You must be very proud, Grissom, that you managed to influence such a powerful mind, and have such a profound effect on her life."

"Sara would have found forensics with or without my seminars. She had already begun to delve into it herself. I was just lucky to get such a brilliant, talented mind working on my team."

This was a double whammy for Sara. She couldn't take everything that was coming from both of them. It felt as if they both had hidden agendas tonight.

She smiled politely, glad for the arrival of her food, she didn't have to talk, she could eat rather than reply. And she chewed really slowly.

"You must have had a pretty powerful sway on young Sara here to make her up and leave her whole life in San Fransicso, to come to Vegas to work with you." He paused for a moment, his face relaxed. "So... How long have you two been in a relationship?"

Both of them almost choked on their food, as Ed simply picked up his fork and took a bite, smiling innocently at the two of them.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about Ed." Grissom stammered, his throat still raw from almost choking on his food. "Sara is my subordinate, I'm her supervisor. She came out here as a favor to me."

"The Vegas lab is number one in the country. Any CSI would jump at a chance to work here, I already told you that much."

"Come on guys, we're just friends here. I seen how you two looked at each other while you were in Berkley, Gil. Those smouldering glances, the touches. You can't tell me that all stopped? That Gil let such a beautiful young woman escape from his grasp."

"Ed, nothing is happening between Sara and I. We are simply co-workers. That's it." He said, firmly, trying to get his point across to drop the subject.

Sara stood up suddenly, feeling like she was going to suffocate. She couldn't breathe properly here. "I'm sorry... I have to go." She brushed past them, rushing out, not looking back over her shoulder to them.

"Maybe there's more to it than co-workers for her." Ed pointed out, simply taking another bite, apparently looking a little amused.

Grissom tore his eyes away from the door, looking back to Ed with a near murderous glare. "I'm sorry, I should go after her. I was her ride." Grissom stood, taking his wallet out of his jacket pocket he threw a few bills on the table to cover his and Saras meal, took his jacket and left.

He made it outside just in time to see Sara get into a cab, and disappear down the strip. He groaned, cursing silently, as he walked back to his Denali. This was an even bigger mess than expected. Was it best to talk to her about this, or ignore what had happened? He had a lot to think about tonight.

Sara was still shaking slightly in the cab as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket. She quickly dialled Nick's number and hit the call button. It rang twice before he answered. "Nick, dinner finished early. I'm heading to the pub now. Meet me there. Soon." She needed that drink more than ever now.

_**xxx**_

**A/N:** Hope you are all enjoying this so far! The next chapter is going to be pretty dramatic, so give me a review and let me know what you think so far. Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed and followed so far!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Just a quick thanks to my guest reviewers, seeing as I can't reply to you! Thanks for the reviews, I appreciate them!

Drama starts to heat up in this chapter! Onwards we must go!

_**xxx**_

The offending sunlight filtering through the curtains into Sara's appartment was what woke her the following morning. She groaned as she turned over onto her stomach, shielding her eyes by burying her head into her pillow.

"Ugh..." She moaned, the pounding in her head was relentless. It had been a long time since she had had a hangover quite like this one. She needed a few moments to gather herself before she even attempted to sit up in her bed. Her empty bed. She was so used to it at this stage, but every now and then she couldn't help the little pang of loneliness that hit her.

She pushed those thoughts from her mind, actually wanting to focus more on the pain of her hangover than anything else. She couldn't remember much from last night. Well, she could remember the bad parts, the dinner. After meeting up with Nick and Greg, she couldn't recall much more than that.

She wandered how she got home, how she got into bed. A quick check and she was still wearing her clothes from last night, with a distinct smell of alcohol seeping from either her skin or her clothes. It really had been a long time since she had gotten totally drunk.

She knew it could only be Nick or Greg who had managed to get her home and into bed in the state she knew she was probably in last night. She blanched at the idea of what she might have let slip to them, about Ed, about Grissom, but she was sure that if she had, they would be waiting here for her, demanding to know more.

She slowly pulled herself up into a sitting position, slamming her eyes shut as the room whirled and her stomach lurched. She took deep breaths to settle herself, before she dragged herself up out of the bed.

She slowly undressed, discarding all of her clothing in the washing hamper, stripping off completely. Nothing was more appealing than the thought of a shower right now. She badded from her bedroom to the ensuite just off of her room, turning the shower on warm, and slipping in.

She simply stood under the spray for a few minutes, resting her head against the cool tiled wall. The thought of having to go into work tonight, to face Grissom after what had happened after the dinner. To face Nick and Greg after what had to have been an eventful night. She would need them to fill in the blanks for her.

Her mind wandered back to Grissom, to the direction the conversation had taken the night before. She had never expected Ed to bring that up, what was he playing at? He obviously had an ulterior motive behind it. He was just as much a scientist as they were, he was calculating, he would have said those for a reason. Was it to guage her reaction, to see what he could get from them? But what did he want it for? She was sure she would find out before he left.

She lifted her head and let the water cascade over her body, as she slowly started to was her hair, shampoo followed by conditioner, then she carefully washed her body, wanting to rid the hangover feeling, and the smell of alcohol from her body.

She kept going over the dinner, the look on Grissoms face when it was suggested that they were in a relationship. He looked almost... Appalled at the suggestion. Was it really that bad for him to think of them in a relationship? They had been a few years ago. Had his feelings for her really changed that much since then?

She sighed as she finally rinsed all of the soap from her body, being thorough with her hair. She shut off the shower, grabbed a towel, wrapped it around her body and slipped back out into her bedroom, grabbing a towel for her hair on the way. She dried off her body and pulled her most comfortable pair of sweats on, and a white tank top.

She dropped the towel in the hamper along with her clothes from earlier, and walked through the house towel drying her hair in search for her cell phone. It didn't take long to locate it, on the counter in the kitchen along with her bag and her jacket from last night.

She flipped her cell open, seeing two text messages and one voicemail. She sent her quick reply to both Greg and Nick, assuring them that she was alive, and she would see them for shift later on.

She quickled dialed her voicemail, surprised to hear Sean's voice fill her ears. She didn't remember him being out last night, but apparently he was. He asked how she was feeling after the night, hoped her head wasn't too sore, and said he wanted to talk to her, he'd come by later on.

Great, she probably did make a fool of herself the night before.

She sighed and snapped her cell shut, turning to her fridge to see what it held that she could eat. She left her hair down, to dry naturally, pulling out a piece of melon, the only thing she thought she could stomach now, something light. She cut herself a piece, put it on a plate and was just about to sit to eat it when the doorbell rang.

It could only be Sean. She sighed slightly, wishing she didn't look like death warmed up, but she shrugged it off. He had never been in her hosue before, but he had dropped her home a few times.

She set the melon down on the counter, as she padded across to the doorway, unlocking the two bolts and opening it to look outside.

Her face dropped when she seen who was standing there, not expecting him to ever be here. How did he know where she lived? She had never told him.

"Grissom, um... What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Sara... I just wanted to make sure you were okay, after last night. You left pretty fast. Am I, interrupting anything?" He couldn't help but take in her casual appearance, her wet hair, the sweats and tank top. She looked just as beautiful now as she had last night.

"No, no, not at all. I was just getting ready for shift, but we still have a few hours. Want to come in?" She stood aside, opening the door for him.

He smiled politely as he stepped in, wiping his feet on the mat out of habit, and allowing the door to shut behind him.

"I was just getting something to eat, can I get something for you, or a drink or anything?"

Grissom shook his head, declining politely.

"I hope you don't mind if I eat." To which he confirmed he didn't. She sat herself on the stool at the counter, and he sat next to her. She grabbed her knife and fork, and started to eat away at her slice of melon.

She had expected him to start talking, but he was watching her very carefully, making her a little uncomfortable. He had been up all night thinking about this. He hadn't thought much more into her reaction, only that it was her reaction to him. It must have hurt her to have someone think they were in a relationship, and for him to deny it, and she took off, upset.

"So," She said after swallowing a mouthful of melon, turning her head to look at him. "What do you need to talk about? I'm guessing it's important, it couldn't wait to shift." Important wasn't the word she really thought of, personal was more fitting, but she decided to keep it to herself.

He pressed his fingers together, his lips pursed. he had gone over what he wanted to say to her nearly the whole drive over here, but now it all seemed to go blank. "About last night, Sara..." She sighed, knowing that was what it was going to be about. "I didn't know he was going to say anything like that."

"Neither of us did, Gi-... Griss. Look... I just, didn't know what to say. I freaked, and ran. We can just leave it at that."

"Can we? I can see I've hurt you, Sara. And he's right, I just called you up and expected you to drop everything to come out here to me. I have to admit, I did kind of think that things could be the same, but when you came... You're just so young, Sara, you have your whole life ahead of you. I can't take that from you."

Sara dropped the utensils, holding her hands up to him. "Grissom, with all due respect, please, cut the crap. You didn't care how old I was back in San Francisco. What is it, just because all your friends are here? You'd rather be with an Anthropologist, a dominatrix even, but not me? It's fine, I get it."

She made a move to stand up, but his hand quickly covered over hers, pulling her back down to him. "Sara... They... They didn't mean anything. It was just dinner. And with Heather... Nothing happened. I know what they're saying in the lab, but you can't listen to everything they say."

"So, what was I to you, Grissom?" She demanded.

"You definitely weren't someone to just ah... Keep my bed warm, as you put it. I know it sounds cliché, or even cheesy... But you really showed me what it meant to live. I had no idea it could offer me so much more outside of work, outside of bugs and teaching. And then you came along, with your ponytail, those long legs, dark eyes, and the never ending questions. I never felt like I did when I was with you."

She couldn't look at him, her eyes fixed on her hands in her lap, with his still clasping hers. "So, what changed since then?"

"I have never done this before, Sara. I've never felt this way, so quickly, about someone before. I don't know how good I would be, in a relationship. I've spent most of my life alone, working towards where I am now. I don't want to lose you, to have you walk out of my life because of my inept relationship skills." He found it hard enough to put his thoughts into words on a general day, but here and now, with Sara, it was even harder.

She could see the strain on his face, and she knew this was hard for him, but it was just as hard for her.

"So, you just decide to do nothing? And bring all this back up when I'm starting to get my life in order?"

"You... You said you still feel the same way for me. I still feel the same for you, Sara. My feelings for you haven't changed."

"What are you going to do about it?" Her eyes met his for the first time since he had started talking. He could see the pain in her eyes, and it pained him too to know that he was causing her more, and that he couldn't give her a definitive answer.

"I don't know."

"I'm not some experiment of yours, Grissom. You don't have all the time in the world to test different scenarios, see how you feel about one thing or another. I won't wait forever. I can't wait forever."

"I know. I can't ask that of you. You deserve to have a life. Please don't let me stop you from doing that."

"No," She said, this time pulling her hands from his, standing up, walking away from him. "This is what you need to stop. You can't tell me you still feel the same for me, and then tell me to move on and get a life. Then tomorrow, you'll put me on a solo, as punishment for doing that. I have feelings Grissom. You can't play God with them, and decide what to make me feel."

He sighed, rubbing his temples, feeling a migraine coming on. She had a point. He was only making things harder for her. Only causing her more pain.

"I should go, Sara. I'm sorry for coming here and interrupting your day. I'll em... I'll see you at shift tonight."

She didn't follow him, or show him to the door. He simply brushed past her, out the door and letting in close behind him, leaving her standing alone in her kitchen, allowing a single tear to run down her cheek. She didn't know how much longer of this she could take.

She sighed and started to clean up her food, no longer feeling very hungry. She had three hours until shift started. She had to get ready for work, ready to go in and pretend that everything was okay between her and Grissom again.

It never seemed hard for him to pretend, maybe she could follow in his footsteps.

_**xxx**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**xxx**_

Almost an hour early, Sara pulled up into the lab parking lot. She knew she was running the risk of having to spend more time with Grissom, because he was always early for shift, if she didn't know any better, shw would have guessed he may have lived at the lab. She couldn't sit around at home anymore, twiddling her thumbs.

All she kept doing was replaying the conversation with Grissom over and over in her head. At least here, she could busy herself in a case, more than likely without Grissom tonight. She was fine by that.

She slid out of her car, pulling her jacket on, feeling the chilly Vegas air nipping at her skin. She turned around when she heard a familiar - yet unexpected - voice calling her name.

"Sean, what are you doing here?" She asked, an easy smile falling onto her lips as he walked up to her, still dressed in the slacks and shirt she knew were his work clothes.

"I knew you'd be into work early, I wanted to catch you before you went in."

"Am I really that predictable?" She teased with a smile.

He gave an almost sad smile in reply, nodding. "Yeah, I guess you are... Listen, I wanted to talk to you about last night."

"Look, I'm sorry, about whatever happened." She was sure she had made a fool of herself, she just had that feeling, but the lack of memory made it hard to tell. It was better to be safe than sorry. "Something happened before I came out, I drank too much, which I don't do often, and don't intend to do again for a long time." She was rambling, which she tended to do when she was nervous.

"Who's Grissom?" He asked out of the blue, his green eyes locked on hers.

She paled slightly, feeling her stomach lurch. "What does he have to do with anything?"

"Sara..." He sighed, seemingly already knowing the answer. "Please."

"He's my boss... Nightshift supervisor."

"But he's more than that to you, isn't he?"

"I don't know what you mean..."

"You said his name... More than once. When we were ah... Making out... You called me Grissom... Told me you loved me."

She could see it pained him to tell her this, the sadness in his eyes made her feel so guilty. "Sean... I'm sorry... I never meant for this to happen."

He gave her a weak smile, and he shook his head. "It's fine, I understand. Take care of yourself, Sara." He said as he started to step away from her. "I'll see you around."

"I'm sorry." She just croaked again, as he turned and went back to his car. She watched him pull out of the lab, feeling her self-hatred grow with every second.

She was being honest. She had never meant for that to happen. If it hadn't been for how she felt for Grissom, she could have seen herself with him. She didn't know for how long, but for a while. Maybe it was a good thing it ended when it did, before she started to develop stronger feelings for Sean, and just made things more complicated for herself.

She took a few moments to compose herself before she entered the lab, heading straight for the breakroom, surprised to find Nick and Greg sitting at the table, their eyes lighting up when they seen her walking towards them.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" She asked, sliding into the chair at the top of the table, dropping her bag to the floor beside her feet.

"Well look who managed to make it into the lab alive tonight." Nick teased with a wink.

"You were pretty wasted last night, Sar. It took the two of us to actually get you home. Y'know, I could press charges for assault."

Sara cringed at the thought, actually glad that she couldn't remember the details.

"Well, Greg, you provoked her. If I was Sara I would have hit you too. And if you were more of a man, maybe you could take it."

"Hey," Greg protested. "Have you ever taken a punch from her? No, didn't think so."

She couldn't help the easy chuckle that escaped her lips, despite herself. Trust these guys to lighten her heart with such little effort.

"Do I really want to know the details of last night?" She was sure she didn't, but they would keep it against her for blackmailing purposes for the future.

"Well, to be honest, nothing much really happened. We had a few drinks, Greg and I struggled to keep up, it was the same as any night. Sean showed up, you kept drinking, you and him disappeared for a while, and then he brought you back saying you needed to go home. Greg and I weren't going to argue with that, it was oretty obvious. And that was when the fun really began."

Greg took pleasure on filling her in on a few stories that happened on their trip back to her house.

"Eh, Sara Sidle?" A voice came from the doorway, and all three CSI's turned their attention to the delivery man in the doorway. What drew Sara's attention was the boquet of flowers - white trumpet lillies as far as she could tell - in his arms.

"Yeah, that's me." Sara said, eyebrows raised.

"Small woman with curly hair at the reception told me where to find you. Delivery for you, dear. Can I get you to sign here for me?" He said as he set the flowers down on the table handing Sara the clipborad with the sheet he needed her to sign.

She quickly scrawled her signature on the paper and thanked him as he turned and left, whistling joyfully as he went.

Sara turned and looked at the flowers with a little hesitation, and her eyes flickered to Nick and Greg.

"What?" She asked, knowing well what was on their mind.

"Sean has it bad." Greg said, chuckling to himself, bringing a nod of agreement from Nick.

Sara shook her head softly, a wave of guilt washing over her again as she thought of Sean. "They're not from Sean, and he won't be coming out with us again." She sighed, looking for a card in the flowers.

"What happened?" Nick asked, "Everything seemed fine last night. Do you want me to talk to him?" He asked in disbelief, he thought everything was going good between them, only a matter of time before Sara actually confirmed they were dating, properly.

"No, no. It wasn't him. It's ah... A mutual decision. Best not to go into it any further." She said, offering a soft smile as if to convince them that she was okay.

"Then who are they from?" Greg asked the question that was on all of their minds.

Sara didn't answer, instead looking down to the small card that she had in hers hands. Well, there was only one way to find out. She flipped it over and pulled it out from the envelope, turning it over in her own hands to read the sentiment on it.

For the second time that night she felt her stomach lurch. She dropped the card to the table and stood up, grabbing her bag ang slinging it over her shoulder. "I uh... I have to go. Will you tell Grissom something came up?" Before Nick or Greg could say anything, Sara had left the room, leaving the two of them open mouthed.

"What the hell was that about? Shift starts in ten minutes." Greg said in disbelief.

Nick reached over, around the flowers, and snatched up the card, giving it a quick read, and passing it to Greg. "Something to do with last night?" He asked with an arched eyebrow.

"What happened last night?" Grissoms voice floated over their own as he came, occupying Sara's recently vacated seat. "Who are the flowers for?"

"Uh, they arrived for Sara..." Greg said quietly, wondering how Grissom would react when he learnt how she left, leaving them short for shift.

"Oh... From the guy she's seeing?" He tried to keep his voice even, impartial, as his eyes focused on the lilies. He wouldn't have classed them as Sara's taste.

"No, actually. We have no idea who they're from. But as soon as she read the card she took off. Said she needed to go, that something came up." Nick explained, wondering if Grissom could shed some light on the situation, knowing she was with him before she joined himself and Greg.

"Can I see the card?" He asked, his interest sparked as Greg slid the card across the table to him. He had half expected Sara to not come in today either, because of what had happened in her apartment earlier that day. But, she had come in, and something made her leave.

He picked it up and sighed as he read the neatly penned note.

_Dear Sara, _

_My apologies for last night. I am sure I can make it up to you. _

_Yours, _

_E.N._

He pursed his lips as he considered the note. He knew who it was from, but he couldn't say he liked the underlying implications behind the words. Not that he fully understood those either, but he had his ideas.

"Nick, will you give Warrick a call, tell him we're short and I need him to come in tonight? I'm going to go see if she's okay, and if I'm not back in an hour, I need you to call Cath, and ask her to come in for me, tell her it's a favor and I'll owe her."

Without much more explanation, or time for them to ask him anything, Grissom had left the room, heading straight out to his Denali.

"Something wrong with us tonight?" Greg asked, "We seem to send everyone running."

Nick chuckled, shaking his head as he stood and pulled his cellphone from his pocket as he made his way out of the breakroom, Greg following. The show had to go on.

Grissom was already in his Denali, pulling out of the lab parking lot. He had a few ideas as to where Sara might be, but the most obvious was her own apartment, so for the second time that day, Grissom made his way out to her apartment, but knowing he was probably not as welcome now, as he may have been earlier. He couldn't help himself, he had to go to her.

_**xxx**_

**A/N: **A short chapter, I know. Was going to be longer, but the next scene actually fits better with the next chapter, so think of this one as just a filler :) Leave a review, let me know what you think.

Prepare for some angry Sara, and sexy angry Griss in the next chapter.


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